Trailable yachts are in for a bumper year of events in 2018

Australian Sailing’s Victorian Trailable Yacht Division has an annual calendar of events making up the Trailable Yacht and Sports Boat Travellers Series. Two heats were sailed in 2017 and coming events include the following:

The Port Albert race was postponed from December with the state-wide extreme weather event forecast for the weekend. A good sized mixed fleet looks forward to sailing the pristine waters on the edge of Bass Strait next weekend.

Trailable yachts are included in this year’s Festival of Sails regatta at Royal Geelong Yacht Club..Race organisers have offered trailable yachts two options. Trailables may enter the Corio Bay series or participate in the 175th anniversary of the Melbourne – Geelong Passage Race to be held this year on Australia Day, Friday 26 January. This is the year to be at Geelong in a trailable yacht.

The annual Victorian Trailable Yacht and Sports Boat Championships regularly attracts around 30 boats and a number of class associations use this event to conduct their own State Championships. RMYS and MTYC have successfully collaborated on this event before. The facilities and waters of St Kilda provide an excellent venue to host championship regattas. Winner of last year’s Division 2, Mitch Bayliss sailing his Castle 650 ‘Pipalini’ will be keen to defend his title as will Brendan Brown, in Division 3 sailing his Boomerang 20 ‘Jaffa’.

The Marlay Point Overnight Race is hosted by the Lake Wellington Yacht Club (LWYC). This iconic race runs on the Victorian Labour Day in March every year. Starting at sunset, competitors sail across Lake Wellington, through the McLennan Straits into Lake Victoria for the run home to Paynesville.

Regarded as Australia’s premier race for trailable yachts and multi-hulls, about 4000 boats and 11,000 sailors have been involved over 50 years, making the Overnight Race a must-do on every sailors’ bucket list.

In 2018, the CH Robinson Marlay Point Overnight Race will celebrate its 50th anniversary. An achievement of which the small club (LWYC) is very proud. More than 200 yachts, and 600 crews, families and supporters from all over Australia, plus hundreds of spectators, are expected to converge on Marlay Point, 22km from Sale on Lake Wellington, for another spectacular sunset start.

This year the Gippsland Lakes Yacht Club (GLYC) will take a major role for the on-water and finish line responsibilities and the presentations as well as providing the after-race entertainment.

The Travellers Series finishes with the ever popular Four Point Race on Port Phillip near the end of April. There are a number of other events around the State offering trailable yachts and sports boats some great sailing opportunities. Check out the events posted on the Trailable Yachts Victoria Facebook page for further details.